Growing Flowers
by redwingedatheart
Summary: Honestly, Bruce can't remember why he chose camping, especially when he had to do all of the work on top of luging his boys around. He didn't really mind, he never did when he got to spend time with them, but he'd probably sleep better knowing where they are or why they still believe in Bigfoot. (same AU as TMoaN)
1. Prologue

The trip had been planned many days in advance. After the recent low crime wave in Gotham a well deserved vacation was ordered by no other than Alfred and any reservations Bruce had about escaping were silenced by the glare in his eyes and he submitted to the man who raised him. The view he had coming into his room now made the unwanted leave of absence worth it.

"Look at this one! Daddy, he's so pretty!" squealed a little Timothy flipping through a book that Bruce had retrieved from the library earlier in the morning. He sat on the large bed with his older brother right next to him looking over his shoulder and regularly messing with his hair although the younger replied by well placed pokes to the ribs.

"Timmy, it's a huge bat. It's not pretty it's scary, ugly, and would probably be very mean in real life." replied a humored Dick, amusement evident in his voice although this was not clear to Tim. Bruce and Dick knew he was goading Tim on; they both had experience with what would happen if Dick insulted animals in front of Tim, bats in specific. This was even more clear by the destroyed look on his face.

"No, no, no, no, no. He looks just like daddy," answered Tim, just looking back between the others. "Dick looks! He's smiling and happy and upside down and covered in black and very fluffy. He's just like Daddy!"

At this point into their relationship Bruce was used to having praise thrown at him by his youngest son. It never occurred to Tim why anyone wouldn't love Bruce or Dick wholeheartedly although he might be a little biased. Dick on the other hand was a little more mature about showing his love, but never that different from Tim. It showed that he would stay a kid at heart and Bruce swore to protect that in both of his sons.

"He's much too big to be fluffy, Timmy. Plus, how many times do you see Dad smiling?" was all Dick asked while sending Bruce a knowing look. By this point the father was used to having such pranks pulled on him by his oldest son and found no harm in not intervening. Mostly, his youngest son's enthusiasm was a huge improvement on the older man's ego (to the distress of the league, most thought he had finally found a girl). It was an accepted fact that Tim would always sing his praise for his family if he ever got the chance.

"All the time," was Tim's answer as he puffed out his chest a little with a little pride and smirk on his face and hope to spur on the argument and stated matter-of-factly, "He loves me more than you."

Dick smiled knowing that Tim wanted to enjoy some lighthearted banter. He stood over his younger brother and held him up as the book fell from his lap. Slightly throwing him up in the air the older brother responded, "Really. I'm older, taller, bigger and stronger. He loves me the most. Atleast you're in second place, right?"

"Yeah well I'm smarter and cuter than you!" was all that Tim could respond with as he was thrown in the ai. Dick wasn't that tall for his age but the fact that Tim was so small made it easy for anyone manipulate him.

"Really, where did you learn that?"

"Alfred told me!"

"If you were smarter than me you would have noticed that the bat in your book was a girl and not a boy." Dick felt encouraged by the knowing look on Bruce's face but now that fell into a half-hearted glare as he knew Dick was leading Tim into corner. Tim looked at the floor lost in thought as Dick momentarily stopped his physical attack. Both were fond of the determination on the youngest's face as he tried to find a way out of his big brother's argument. Luckily for him a savior came to his rescue.

"I am hopeful that you have finished packing young masters?" came a question from their surrogate grandfather surprising everyone in the room. No matter how good a detective Bruce was, he could still not outsmart the man you raised him. It was one of few things that could counter the surge in his pride. "After all, there are only a few hours left before your departure time and I was hoping to give you a final meal before the excursion."

Dick reasonably dropped his brother and ran past everyone to the room to find out where his camping bag was.

"I already finished Alfred. I was looking over a book about all the animals and flowers we were going to find there." The pride was evident from his voice but his face was still a little red from the squabble.

Alfred picked up the dropped book and saw last page the family had been looking at and the picture of the bats staring back at them. "Why, I must say, this bat does remind me of you, Master Bruce."

There was an echo of "God dammit! Your supposed to be on my side." from a few doors down and snickering from the smallest body in this one.

For the first time Bruce intervene. "I don't know how much I look like a bat, but I do know that we should get going soon. How about we get loaded in the car?" From excessive past experience both of the men know that by that time the two kids would have a new topic to argue over and this topic might just never be addressed again.

Tim scurried out of his father's room and went to retrieve the stuffed bat. How no one made the connection was something Bruce never hopped to address.

Turning to the man at question, "Are you sure that you would not need my help in the woods, Master Bruce? The two boys are a lot to handle."

"There's no need Alfred. You deserve a break from caring for this family and I want you to go on your own vacation." The butler worked hard for the family and deserved some time off as much as the father did.

"It's is much appreciated, Master Bruce."

A few hours later and after both boys had stuffed their mouths full of cookies that they certainly would not find in the wild, they three waved goodbye to the remaining figure in the house. Bruce was loading Timothy into the car seat and placing his stuffed bat under his arms he heard snickering coming from his oldest.

"Babybird, do you want to sing while we wait to get there?" It was too late to for Bruce to give any argument as Dick reached across from the back seat and turned the radio to any pop station he could find. At this age Tim did not have much interest in modern music, stemming mostly from Bruce and Alfred's distaste but Dick was the complete opposite and Tim would do anything to impress his brother.

While teaching Tim the lyrics to whatever song came on the two oldest were stunned by something they had overlooked.

"Daddy, what does that word mean?"


	2. Into the Woods

The children's argument that to go on their trip using electronics for help was forbidden was meet with an even harder task of keeping them entertained. The car had been left near the entrance to the wildlife park although Bruce did bring his phone for emergencies. Bruce was forbidden from working on any business, either for the day or night jobs. Instead he would have to instead focus his abilities on keeping them safe from the bears and strange people that roamed the woods.

Bruce had decided to let his sons lead the way as nothing too dangerous could come from the trip and he enjoyed watch them march and pretend to be explorer. Their lack of experience showed as neither of the two noticed how they had been walking in circles and he was forced to mention that it would be better to move to higher ground.

Now it seemed that kids couldn't care less where they were as Dick took it upon himself to teach Tim how to fly across the trees as he saw his staring at the trees.

"Be careful up there! Don't get yourself hurt!" There was no way for him to keep the worry out of his mouth, but the sight before him was not something he had prepared for.

"Remember to hold on tight, Babybird. It will help us stay safer," came the easy motivation from Dick. His confidence bled through his words as he secured his brother on his back.

Tim's long held fear of heights was to be challenged by the one person who feared it the least.

"You won't let go?" came the shy question from the soon to be acrobat.

"Never. I'll hold on to you until you want me to let you go." Dick left no room for either Bruce or Tim to question his devotion to the task and his younger brother held on for his life. Bruce would have preferred for Timothy's first trek into danger to be in the safety of the cave but he knew that any argument from his part would only be met with more resolve in his two sons. Such was life raising two boys keen on showing how independent they could be.

In all honesty the two were on a branch only a few feet higher than Bruce's head and a first aid kit was packed into the luggage but the unseasoned father could not find a way to lower his stress level.

"Here's what we're going to do: You're going to wrap your legs around my hip and do your best to keep your eyes open. I'm gonna jump and land perfectly on Dad who's going to catch us." The assurance in Dick's voice worked wonders on Tim and he wrapped himself around his brother like the koala bear no one had the heart to tell him he wouldn't meet on their trip.

"Ready….one….two….three!"

Despite his best efforts, Tim felt his eyes close as he lost faith in gravity.

Dick, on the other hand, kept his promise to his little brother and landed perfectly on their father.

Bruce knew he had to watch what he feed the boys when his knees collapsed from their collective weight and he found himself on the ground with two bundles of giggling boys.

"That was fun!" stated an excited Timmy. All sense of fear was lost as the boy's flushed face spread into an easy grin. "We went so fast and it didn't hurt at all!" That was only true on two of three accounts. "Again! Again! Lets do it again!"

"Yeah this time we can go even higher!" Being with his younger brother did wonders in reminding him why he loved flying in the first place. The enthusiasm was reminiscent of the circus and it couldn't hurt to enjoy the opportunity before them. "We can pretend to flap our wings like the birds."

Before either of them could try climbing up again two large arms trapped them on the chest they had landed on.

"I don't think so. It's getting pretty late and I think we should set up camp soon, before bears try to come looking for food."

Bruce knew his argument was heavily flawed but at that moment he wanted nothing more than to place the two of them before a flame and keep them safe from what could end up being a dangerous fall. It was times like this that he wondered when he had made the transition into a father and realized how Alfred must have felt when he told him about his intentions to go out at night dressed as a bat to fight crime.

"Plus, aren't you two hungry by now. We haven't eaten since we started our hike and the sooner we find a place to rest the sooner we can eat"

Right on cue he heard two small stomachs rumble at the possibility of food and it seemed that in the excitement the two had forgotten their own hungar.

"What kind of place should we be looking for?" questioned the oldest. His mind completely focused on the need to find food.

"Dick! What have you been looking for the whole time we were here?"

"I was following my instincts but now my hunger has blinded my senses." As dramatic as ever Dick landed softly in the grass next to his father and granted him permission to lead instead, "I have failed in my duties and instead leave the burden to you."

Bruce scoffed at the theatrics that came from the fallen leader but instead of addressing him helped the two up. Tim was busy trying to decipher what his brother had just said without the embarrassment of having to ask for help from his elders. Once he seemed satisfied he the boy ran to the tree and after a quick search came back with a few small ladybugs in his hands.

"Here you go big brother. I don't think they are blind and they can help you feel better! I even got you the pretty insects instead of the scary ones."

"Thank you Tim, but I think Dad could use them more because he's going to lead us from now on." It was hard for him to keep the laughter out of his voice but Tim didn't seem to notice and motivated by the same hunger placed the bugs into his father's pockets.

"Here you go Daddy. Make sure we don't get lost okay?"

With half a dozen ladybugs building a new home for themselves on his jacket, Bruce lead his two kids into a clearing by a small lake. It seemed that the time he spent memorizing the landscape of the park in case of an emergency had come in handy. He would need to remind Alfred of that once he got home. Now the only things left was to set up a camp.

Once understanding the labor involved in pitching up the tents (especially the ones large enough to meet Alfred's high standards) and starting the fire, Dick and Tim came to the conclusion that that kind of work was meant for grown men and dangerous for little children like themselves. Plus, the two of them had just defied death by their harrowing journey down a tree and could not be expected to put even more stress upon themselves. Instead the two sat in the grass of the clearing feeding their new pets and offering words of encouragement.

"We believe in you!"


	3. Lighting

It was the first time Dick and Tim got to see an (intensional) fire this close up. Even in the dead of winter, the heaters in the manor gave them no reason to light the fire place in the library, much to the dismay of its youngest residents. Even without the fire, the two were sure to gather the family in the library and pretend as if there was a flame to cook the popcorn on.

At the sight of the flames neither of them could turn their eyes away until they heard Bruce mention s'mores. (Another first and something that Alfred would not have appreciated but children could be easily bought with the promise of sugar.)

The two sat by the fire with their crackers and chocolate in their hands and waited for Bruce to finish roasting the marshmallows. Dick took it upon himself to try to teach Tim about their need to go find Bigfoot as was tradition.

"He's even bigger than Uncle Clark and very hair, like Ace. He likes to hide in the woods, but remember not to scare him because he's a little shy. He looks scary and like he could hurt anyone but don't worry, he doesn't eat little kids. "

His oldest was acting like he was personal friends with the non existent figure but both kids remained ignorant to this as they saw the mission as one of the first steps to being great detectives like their father. Of course this was lost on him as he interpreted the look of determination on their faces to an overactive imagination and was willing to leave it unaddressed. He was more interested in getting the kids to rest after the long trip and sugar he was about to give them.

S'mores finished and fire put out, Bruce tucked his son's into their tent and promised to wake up extra early to go swimming in the nearby lake. While laying down to sleep (and checking to make sure that Gotham had not burned down in the short time they had been out of town) he heard silent giggling coming from outside of his tent but didn't imagine it being much more than a retelling of a funny experience or a final conversation before the two went to sleep. The sound went on for a while and made it had for him to get the much needed sleep and he knew it was more than he than a "Goodnight." Although he couldn't make out the exact words, Bruce heard short periods of silence before gasps and held back laughter that he knew to be Tim's and he imagined Dick appeasing his younger brother with stories when all of them were younger.

Unable to ignore his curiosity any longer, the father unzipped the mouth of tent and saw that his sons had already abandoned their own. Looking around he found them not far from the camp and under the cover of the trees. Around them he saw the flying sparks of light rising from their burrows in the trees to investigate who had found their home.

Dick in particular was interested in gathering as many as he could on their hair. Any time he placed one on Tim's palm more giggling spewed from his lips as tiny creature walked around his hand.

"Dick, look it tickles."

"I know it feels even weirder having them walk on your face." Some of lightning bugs had lost their way in the tangled ends of his hair and instead made it to his face where he couldn't help but scrunch when any of them came too close to his nose or eyes. Even though it did irritate the bugs enough to leave, it left Tim with the view of his older brother and another question:

"How many can you catch at one time?"

"A lot. They don't look that scared. Maybe they like us."

"I want to take some home with us! We can show them to Alfred and keep them in the backyard!"

"I don't know birdy...I don't think we know how to feed them. Plus they might not like moving away"

While the two considered plans on how to move the bugs to a new home, Bruce debated the merits of scaring them as a way of getting them to bed. The pair had been too distracted by the findings to pay much attention to the fact that they were being watched. They would have long way to go before picking up any matles but right now they were just kids entertained by nature and Bruce was fine leaving it like that as long as he could. He knew that in a couple of years he would miss times like this.

Slowly the lightning bugs made progress on the bodies but the two boys were too afraid of letting the insects into their pjs. It was one thing to have on their hands but the possibility of having bugs crawling around them and not being able to see them was too much.

"Maybe we should find something to put them in?"

"Just relax Timmy. Don't worry about all that and enjoy the ones right in front of you."

Dick really was good for Tim. He was one of the few people who could get the young boy to calm down and stop stressing. Tim returned the favor by being someone that Dick could focus his love and energy on, especially when Bruce was too busy brooding about one case or another. The best thing was that neither was aware of the effect they had on the other as the two just fit into place with one another.

"Didn't I put you two to sleep a while back?" Bruce made sure to keep any anger out of his voice because he wasn't that upset at the boys. They were a few meters from the camp and as alway right next to each other. If anything he was upset about not being invited, but there was sure to be more to the story.

Even then the pair froze at the sound of his voice. There wasn't that much to hide from their Dad but in proper bat fashion they didn't say anything to incriminate themselves. This was followed by a sleepy and have hearted glare, really just a raised eyebrow, which made them cave into the pressure.

Not as used to any punishment from their father Tim took the initiative:

"We were looking at all the pretty bugs Daddy."

"I can see that, but why are you out of bed? If you wanted you could have waked me up like always but you were trying to hide something. What aren't you two telling me?" They were going to hate growing up with the world's greatest detective looking over their shoulder.

"WeweregoingtolookforBigfoot," came the quick addmission from Dick. "We're sorry but we really wanted to see him. It would have been so cool to finally meet him. When we came outside we found the lightning bugs and got distracted."

Atleast he knows where they get the initiative from.

He couldn't find it in himself to be mad (maybe it was the sparks still left in their hair) but no good parent would let this kind of action go unpunished. There was little possibility they were going to go out again tonight but Bruce still couldn't be sure what would happen when he went into his own tent.

After cleaning to two up Bruce came to the perfect resolution

"How about we move you sleeping bags to my tent? This way I can make sure you don't get lost in the woods when you want to find a fairy."

Of course it would work, the two never turned down an opportunity to sleep with their dad.


	4. Breakfast

They started the day a lot slower than Bruce would have liked. It seemed that the boys were planning on sleeping in after their almost escapade the night before and refused to leave the tent and face the day. In few minutes that Bruce had left Dick and Tim had moved to replace his spot in the middle of them. To be honest it hadn't been hard to not wake them up as they rolled off his chest and he was certain the two could sleep through anything. While the two made up for the lost sleep Bruce saw no reason not to go out and get a morning workout in before setting up breakfast for the kids.

Stepping out, the shade of the trees blocked the rising sun from his view and he stretched out the drowsiness. It looked like he had gotten used to sleeping in a large and soft bed and the hard ground would leave him sore for a while (maybe that's why the boys decided to use him as a pillow instead). Looking at the view of the small campsite and lake beside it he thought that the vacation might actually be worth it. Between the terrain experience and the survival techniques he wanted to teach the kids he saw an opportunity to relax for a while. Everything showed that Gotham had not been destroyed in the short time he was gone and Kent was there to keep the cowl warm. It looked like the city wouldn't miss him for a while.

He started his jog not too far from where his sons were sleeping and made sure to always keep in sight for reasons he could not fully understand. Rationally he knew that the boys would be fine in the half hour it might take him to finish but he still didn't want to leave them behind.

As he returned to give them a final wake up call he watched them rub the sleep out of their eyes and sit around the site with rumbling stomachs. Looking back at the lake Bruce saw that the brilliant sunrise that he saw was over and that the boys had missed it. He made a mental note to wake them up in time before they left but right now he had something more immediate to take care of.

"What are we eating for breakfast? I want some cereal." That did not surprise him, Dick had always appreciated a simple cereal as a way to start off the day.

"We don't have any cereal, there was no way to bring the milk without it spoiling and I knew you would try to eat it with something else before throwing it out."

"That's not true." it was a murmured reply that he wasn't supposed to hear but he knew that chuckle that left his mouth would annoy the boy even more

They all knew it was. It had happened before when Alfred and Bruce were away and Dick tried to make breakfast for him and his little brother. Although the sentiment was nice the execution left much to be desired. They were both too small to carry the full gallon of milk so they thought it would be a good idea to use the orange juice on the bottom shelf as a replacement and not have to pour it in a glass afterwards. Bruce's favorite thing was that both tired to finish it even though it was disgusting because they couldn't remember whose idea it was to use the juice. Alfred thought that it was a mix of not wanting to be wrong about the choice if they had been the one to suggest it and not wanting to insult each other.

" _Master Bruce, it seems like they turn into you more and more every day."_

" _What? I don't see the connection."_

" _Well there is a first time for everything. I meant, sir, that the three of you would torture yourselves to unneeded extents to spare each other's feelings. Why it looks like the mighty Batman is growing soft."_

" _That's not true! I would never sit there miserable and eat something I found disgusting."_

" _Remind me of that the next time the boys decide to surprise you with a meal, sir."_

" _Well then I guess it is a good thing that I have such a good cook to make my meals."_

" _Oh I wouldn't put all my eggs into one basket, sir. After all I am getting slower in my old age and my bones don't work as they once did. I think I might just have to have Master Dick and Master Tim take over my duties periodically."_

" _If I actually thought you would let the two ruin your kitchen I would be a lot more worried. In any case I think we need to find them something to get the horrible taste out of their mouth."_

"' _We?' Master Bruce, if you were to make them a meal of your own I don't see them getting well any time soon."_

" _Point taken, Alfred. I'll go see if they need some water instead. Oh and by the way, you're in the same shoe as everyone in this family Alfred."_

" _Very good, Master Bruce."_

Back to situation at hand, he gave both of them bags of trail mix and tried to ignore as they only ate the chocolate. At the very least it would help quell their hunger for a while before they started asking him for food.

"Daddy what are you going to make? I'm hungry!" Bruce didn't even have to look up. He could practically hear the pout in Tim's face. It seemed the chocolate didn't last too long.

"Don't worry sport I'm just setting up. How about some eggs and toast?"

"Yes!"

"How did you get the eggs all the way up here and not some milk?"

"Alfred packed them and he made sure they would last the trip."

The looks on their faces were getting worse as they heard the eggs sizzling over the fire. Even though the two were having a deep conversation about how to better find Bigfoot neither of them stopped looking at the fire for long. Once he started adding the pepper they were practically falling of the small log waiting for something to fill their stomachs.

They were sure that Alfred would not be impressed by their table manners but in their defense there really wasn't much of a table to eat off of. The fact that the napkins weren't directly in front of them just meant that Dick and Tim just cleaned their face on the back of their hand or the shirts that Bruce would now need to wash.

"Can you please try not to be so sloppy? You're both wearing more that you're eating!" What would Alfred think at the sight before him?

"It's okay Daddy it will all come off in the water!"

"What water?"

"Daddy promised that we could go in the water last night."

"Oh I forgot! Can we please go in now!"

"Brother we don't want to get cramps. We need to wait a while before going in."

"No babybird, that's only for swimming. Because we can't swim we can go in whenever we want."

"That's not how this works Dick. You do need to wait a while before going in the water."

"Fine. But we do get to go swimming, right?"

"Would Daddy lie to us?"

That seemed to give Dick the perfect opportunity to solidify their next adventure. "Well Daddy does say that lying is bad. I guess we have to go now."

"Well do you two having swimming cloths?"

"Yes! Alfred helped me pack them in when I told him I wanted to learn to swim. Dick, let's go put our feet in the water while he wait for Daddy!"

"Race you there Timmy!"

Of course they would leave him to clean everything up.


	5. Splash

"Why is Daddy making so much noise?"

"He wants us to know that no one is helping him clean up."

"Oh...Should we go back and help him?"

Dick stood back and looked at Tim and took in the water dripping from his hair and clothes that looked like a second skin.

"I don't know buddy. I don't look like you're in the shape for it."

"Well we should get him here then! He needs to teach us how to swim."

"Nah we don't want him to be grumpy when he helps us. That would turn into a bad situation very quickly."

"Ok then could we build a sand castle?"

"How about we get used to being under water while we wait? This whole time the water hasn't gotten past your knees and it would make learning a little easier."

This was the point Dick wasn't looking forward to. Although Dick had played in the pool with Bruce before, this was Tim's first time going underwater. Even when he took baths he never let the water get past chest level and Dick learned this after he found out he enjoyed giving Tim a bath many years ago.

Right now Tim was looking at the lake not even trying to hide his fear. His hands were even balling up the front of his shirt so his hands had something to do while he calculated the merits of joining his brother compared to staying on the little beach. Eventually he sighed under his breath and held out his hand.

"Can you hold my hand while we go in?"

Dick was just proud that Tim had enough courage to go into the water. Holding his hand wasn't even that big of an issue considering that what Tim was going to go through in the water. "Sure thing Timmy. We can go even further now!"

After placing his hand over his brother's, Dick felt Tim's body stiffen as he took small steps deeper into the water. Every time he put his foot down he checked to make sure that the sand would not swallow him. His breathing was getting heavier as the water level went over his shirt and he felt the surprisingly cold water on his stomach and he decided to stop here. By now Tim was squeezing Dick's hand as hard as he could

It seemed at this point Tim was content with the progress they had made.

"Okay…how about we try to lower our heads now?" At this point Dick was questioning his knowledge about what to do. When Bruce played with at the manor he was carrying Dick in the water, but Dick didn't trust himself to hold onto his little brother. They both knew that Bruce was a lot stronger than them no matter how much he pretended when they wrestled together.

"Do we have to?"

"Umm. How about we sit here and wait for Dad to come and help us? We can splash with our legs and wait for the water to cool up."

"Okay." Tim's voice was weak as he was still terrified of the huge lake in front of his eyes.

While waiting for their father the two were competing to see who could make the highest splatter with their legs. Any fish that had planned on swimming in the shallow water and soaking in the sun were frightened by the boys not even trying to keep their voices low. Once Tim realized that he could make the water go higher if he went deeper and he lost some of his convictions. Getting eaten up by the water was the last thing on his mind and he even lost the need to hold onto his older brother's hand. Even the water had lost all of the chill that had previously used to push them away.

Bruce had finished cleaning up a long time ago but he had no intentions of interrupting the scene he saw. After his initial plan of guilting his sons into helping fell short he sat by the tent and watched them challenging their comfort zones. Instead of walking up and joining them he rummaged through the bag that Alfred had packed and found his prize: a digital camera of much better quality than the one on his phone. While he saw his oldest comfort his youngest Bruce found the best angle and capture the raw warmth of their expressions. It certainly helped that he had already gained a lot of experience once Alfred made the decision to put together as many family albums as he could.

By now Dick was going further into the water and entertaining his brother by pretending to be a whale and shooting water out of his mouth and Bruce decided that he might as well join them. He changed into the swimming trunks Alfred had known he would need and met up with the two at the water's edge.

"Any progress? I could hear you two scaring everything that lived in the lake from the camp."

"That means that there isn't anything in there to bite us!" Bruce wouldn't put it past the two of them to plan it as a defense mechanism.

"Can we go in now?" By now Tim was accustomed to the water and Dick was even more confident. There wasn't much more he could do to keep them occupied than teach them how to swim and to be honest he was looking forward. Bruce welcomed any opportunity to teach his kids knowing that soon they would be at an age where they would look elsewhere for guidance. Now, though, was a time to enjoy the fact that both of them were eager for anything they could milk from him.

"Ok you're going to learn how to float first."

In the end the two still didn't know how to swim very well. Dick was making a lot of progress but it would take more than an hour for him to be good much less great. As soon as he had learned how to manipulate his body in the water he went underwater to see how the fish saw the world. Confidence was key as he began to circle his family and surprise them as if the water actually hid his body. Dick's new favorite game was Shark as he took on the role of a shark and tried to eat Tim who was protected by Bruce.

Tim, on the other hand, was much more content to watch the two and get used to moving his whole body in the water. He enjoyed seeing how contoured the world became once he opened his eyes underwater but wasn't floating very well. Every time his feet left the ground he would grab onto Bruce in panic.

It didn't take long for them to get tired and Bruce was surprised that the two had lasted the three hours they spent in the lake. The boys grabbed a towel to wrap themselves in while Bruce rummaged through the bags to find another outfit for them. Apparently he was taking too long as Dick decided to shake try shaking the water off like a dog and was competing with Tim to see who could whip their head around the fastest. Little drops of water had found their way on everything in the vicinity and Bruce was glad that both of them were two small to cause any real damage. Thinking about Ace drying himself off after a bath still made him cringe.

Once everyone was in dried clothes and gathered around the lazy fire Bruce had started he gathered the two on his sides and relaxed at the thought of the scene they made. It was now he wished there was someone to take their picture but he knew he'd take one himself once the two fell asleep from the hot chocolate and warm body.

Pretty soon Tim let out a snore and Dick wasn't too far behind. There were still many hours left in the day and Bruce would usually frown at the idea of naps but he felt this one was well deserved.

"You guys did a very good job in the lake. It shouldn't take too long before you can swim by yourselves." He knew what the idea entailed in the future. Growing up was hard for any kid, but he had a feeling it was going to be just as hard on him.

"You'll still be there though, right?" The question was murmured and not entirely a conscious one but Bruce knew it was still important...

"Always."


	6. Hiking

I've been a little busy so I haven't really revised this chapter yet, but i'll look over it again tomorrow. Any advise would be appreciated!

* * *

The sun was already at the highest point of its journey through the day before the men were ready to start off on their hike No matter how much Bruce tried to stay on a schedule, the boys were unpredictable and got distracted by the smallest things. Even after all these years none of the organization had been passed on to them.

Even though they should've left by now, Bruce was busy packing their bags while the boys were running around the roots of the trees. There were two small bags for the boys and one large bag for him which had everything they would need. Even though they wouldn't have been able to carry much weight for the entire trip, the boys would've felt personally attacked if he didn't give them something to carry beside him.

Once Bruce was finished packing everything they would need over the night, he started securing the camp and making sure that none of their things could be found by wandering animals. He loaded their belongings into large bags and tying them to the trees, far too high for any bears to reach and far too thick for squirrels to rip through. Every now and then he would turn to the boys under the trees and catch sight of the progress they were making.

Having mastered the water a few days prior, Dick and Tim were now ready now wanted to try their luck in the woods. Right now they were scampering around the trees looking for something large enough to function as a cane for the both of them. Dick had remembered some movie Bruce was regretting letting him watch and was now set of the idea that any adventurer had to wield a large crane to swing at the predators that got in their way.

Every now and then they would find something that might work, but if it didn't pass Tim's irrefutable test of being thrown over a boulder it was deemed too weak to serve them any purpose if there ever was a time they would need one point Bruce even watched them aim rocks at the trees, hoping a big and strong branch would fall to their feet.

Once they were satisfied with their selections, the boys gathered their bags and waited for Bruce to begin the hike. Dick compared Tim's height to the height of his cane and reveled in the fact he was so much taller than his brother.

Rocking back and forth on the heel of his feet, Dick asked "Are you ready to go, Dad? We don't want to be late."

Bruce made some finishing touches to the large bags, deeming them high enough in the trees so that no scavengers could come. "I think the camp is safe. Did you find the sticks you were looking for?"

Tim waved his stick in the air, showing Bruce how well it would function as a sword to protect them from anything that could come their way in the forest.

Indulging his son's imagination, Bruce took it into his hands as he would when admiring any work of fine artisanship. He pretended to weigh it in his hands and test its balance with a few quick swipes in the air before handing it back and remarking, "You made a magnificent choice, Tim."

After giving Dick's stick the same tests and passing grade, Bruce pointed to the general direction of their path and then watched as Dick and Tim started leading the way. He prefered being able to always keep an eye on both of them and kept himself a few paces behind them, far enough to watch to make sure that nothing could hide from him and close enough to be right beside them in a few seconds if need be.

Living up to his expectations, as soon as the two found something that could move they scurried over, studying them as if they were Lewis and Clark. They discussed what the plants and animals were, their names, abilities, and how their day was going. Even though the innocent bouts of curiosity, Bruce was always looking over their shoulders to see whether their newest interest was dangerous or not.

He was glad that they were unwilling to go anywhere near the bugs that came their way, but a few of the colorful frogs were cutting it too close for Bruce's comfort. Instead he loaned them a disposable camera to take pictures while keeping a decent distance between them and the animals.

Watching a squirrel run across the floor, Dick's eye followed it into a tree and place his nut inside it's little home. Trying to capture a picture, he caught sight of something else not far from the squirrel and got excited.

"Dad, is that a nest?"

Turning his attention towards his son's line of sight he caught sight of a small shelter with no birds guarding it. "Yeah I think so Dick. There doesn't seem to be anything living inside of it; it might have been abandoned many years ago."

Before Bruce could make another sound, he watched as Dick climbed up the tree and made his way to the nest, scaring the squirrel away from its feast. On the ground, Tim grew excited thinking about what his brother would find and bring back to them.

Dick made his way the same branch as the nest while making sure that nothing got crushed under his weight. Taking his place next to the seemingly abandoned roost, Dick moved some of the leaves and stray sticks out of the nest (while trying to land them on Tim's head when he threw them down). He held his breathe at the sight of small baby blue eggs.

From the ground Bruce called up once he saw the shocked look on his face. "What is it buddy? Did you find anything?"

"There's like two - no three - eggs just sitting here. There's no mommy or daddy bird here though." Dick slowed down his movement and carefully began to clean the nest up a little bit, making sure that the eggs were comfortable. Taking one into his hand carefully feeling the chick growing inside of it, he asked, "Dad, the eggs are blue! I've never seen blue eggs before."

Tim tugged on Bruce's pant leg, upset that he couldn't see the blue eggs. Conceding to his son, Bruce dropped the bag from his back and lifted Tim onto his shoulders so he could climb the tree with his older brother. Once he had a careful place next to Dick he squatted down next to the nest and observed the eggs while Dick took some pictures.

Tim wasn't willing to pick any of the eggs up, too afraid of accidently dropping one the fifteen feet to the floor, so he watched as Dick maneuvered them in front of his face and allowed him to see just how amazing the sight was.

Moving his head to see exactly what they were doing, Bruce offered, "Their blue color means their robin eggs, and I wouldn't touch them if I were you, boys."

While Dick carefully placing the egg back into its place beside its siblings, Tim asked, "Why not? Are they like the pretty frogs from before?"

"No Tim…this is a little different. Some times if the parents smell that something else touched the eggs then they won't come back to the eggs."

The boys were stunned by the information and quickly moved away from the nest. Upset that they had jeopardized the not yet living birds, Dick tried to undo any evidence of his visitation. He placed leaves and small sticks on top of the eggs, similar to how it had looked before the squirrel had lead them to it.

Quietly helping Tim make his way down the tree and going down himself, Dick asked "What do we do Dad? Are they going to be alone now?"

Tim added, "Are their parents not going to come back to them now?"

Bruce thought silently for a moment before caving into the disappointed look on his sons' faces. Although he was empathetic towards the robins, he was more interested in making sure his boys didn't feel guilty about letting their curiosity get in before he could stop them.

He chose to ignore for the moment the glare Alfred would send his way and indulge them with a promise. "How about we leave the nest alone for now and finish our trip. If, and only if, on our way back to Gotham the parents haven't come back we'll bring them home with us."

As he had hoped the boys were excited at the prospect of bringing the eggs home, momently unashamed of the fact they had intruded on the nest. While the two picked up their bag and stick and talking quickly about what they would do with their new pets. Tim could imagine the birds sleeping on top of Ace or singing in his room while Dick imagined teaching a bird to poke Bruce or Tim with seeds when they bothered him. Bruce imagined what it would be like once Alfred caught sight of them and made it his duty to clean after them.

Once again along their path, none of them could consider the possibility that the parents would return home and not care that the boys had trespassed into the nest.

Once they learned that their father knew almost everything about the little birds they listened silently as Bruce taught them about robins; their size, colors, lifespan, top speed, and eating habits. He even found some decent sized rocks and showed them how big the birds would be when they hatched and once they were fully grown.

"What do you think we should name them?"

Bruce considered this for a moment before responding, "It depends on if they're boys or girls."

Not seeing how he could distinguish between the genders, Dick asked, "How are we going to tell the difference?"

Bruce explained, "Male robins are more colorful, they have blue feathers on their heads and the girls have the same brown they have on their wings."

Considereing his father's explaination, Dikc crouched down next to his brother and whispered something Bruce wasn't able to catch. Whatever it was, it made them giggle quite loudly and they seemed unwilling to share. By now he was used to the two hiding things from him and wasn't too worried because neither had any bad intent and whatever they talked about in private always made its way back to could tell they wanted him to ask them what they found so funny, but he feigned more interest in the path they were following.

* * *

Tired after walking for hours, Tim asked, "Are we almost there yet?"

Bruce made a mental note of working on their stamina once they were back in Gotham and in the safety of the batcave, but for now he responded, "Yeah, it's not that much farther from here."

About half a mile further and a detour from the path he caught a glimpse of the crag facing them from the side of the cliff. Finding a small rise in elevation he pointed the destination out to the boys glad to finally take a break.

"You see that top right there, that's where we're going."

Not seeing much more than the rocky side of the cliff, Dick wrinkled up his nose and asked, "Are we sleeping there?"

"I think so. By the time we get there it's going to be too late for us to reach the lake and I don't want to carry you two around all night." Wanting to divert their attention away from the pain in their legs Bruce wore a smirk on his face and added, "You've gained a couple of pounds from the last time I had to carry you around."

Taken aghast by the accusation, the aspiring acrobat asserted, "We're not fat!"

Bruce pretended to consider the possibility before continuing, "I don't know, you do look like you've gotten lazy too. Maybe I should consider taking away your video games."

Happy to play along with the light banter, Dick responded, "Liar. I'm going to tell Alfred that you said that his food made me fat."

Now it was Bruce's turn to feign shock. "When did I say that?"

"I only eat the things that Alfred gives me, so what else would make me heavier?"

Bruce wasn't willing to give up that easily. He knew more about Dick than he was aware of and he wasn't unwilling to not use it to his advantage. "I think that the snacks you buy at school might be the culprit."

Now Dick was shocked by the realization. He knew that his father was the greatest detective alive, but Dick was always assumed he could hide a few things from him. "How do you know about that?"

Bruce explained easily, implying that Dick was crazy for not assuming he had known all along. "Why else would you always be running out of money? It's not like I don't buy you everything you ask me to."

Dick gave in and returned to the banter. He knew he couldn't win an argument against his father so he did the next best thing, return to what he always knew to be true, "Yeah, but that's because you love me."

This caught Bruce a little off guard, but he wasn't willing to let up too easily. He moved his son onto the seat next to him and placed a large kiss on his forehead. "Against my better judgement."

Dick was too tired to pretend that the kiss bothered him and he just melted in Bruce arms, feeling just how tired the hike had made him. "That's ok, I love you too."

Bruce ruffled his hair before turning to the third person in their party. Tim was crouched down next to a tree completely unaware of the conversation happening right behind him. They watched as he poked around a moving rock before lifting it up to see an insect crawl out from beneath it and scurry around, frightened by the disturbance. He dropped the rock and squealed, shivering slightly on his way back to his family. After squeezing his way between the two he checked his cloths to make sure nothing had attached itself to him.

The two oldest silently laughed at how unaware he was about the atmosphere he had walked in on and Dick continued, "I love you Timmy."

Lost in thought and uninterested in his family at the moment, Tim didn't give them much more than a quick nod.

Bruce added on, "What about you? How do you feel?"

"How do I feel about what?"

"Do you love us?"

Tim considered for a moment before responding, "I'll love you even more if you make sure nothing is on my back."

* * *

As they reached their destination, the boys were tired of their hike. Luckily for them, the top of the cliff was not as barren as its side and they collapsed on some of the soft grass growing beside the tent that Bruce was building. Because they had to pack lightly everyone would sleep in the content, but it wasn't like they didn't regularly share Bruce's bed in the manor.

Once he was finished with the shelter and the boys had eaten some quickly made food Bruce demanded, "I want you two to get some sleep right away."

Although he was tired enough to fall asleep, Dick wanted to argue a little with his dad and asked, "Why? It's not even dark yet."

Tim decided to side with his brother even though he was not entirely sure how he felt either way. "Yeah we can stay up."

Bruce was a little stern with the boys, "No, I really need you boys to get some rest soon."

Getting up and making his way to the tent, Dick let his curiosity get the best of him. "Can you tell us why?"

Bruce dug through his bag and retrieved some clean and comfortable cloths for the boys to wear while they slept. "I can't tell you, but you'll see when you wake up. Right now just change into some comfortable clothes and get inside."

Dick gave him an overly exaggerated huff he wasn't even feeling before grabbing the pjs that Bruce was holding out for them.

"This better be worth it, Dad."

"I'm pretty sure you'll love it."


	7. Stars

Bruce tried to make sure that everything was perfect. He set down a soft sheet on the grass and moved all of the rocks and bugs off to the side. At the very least everything had to be perfect, it was the two deserved.

Looking into the tent he could see the two dozing off and it didn't look like they were going to be awake anytime soon. Dick was splayed out on his back, snoring while Tim's feet rested on his chest. Being as he was an active sleeper, Tim's feet only slightly missing Dick's face every time he moved around. It looked like the hike took a lot out of them. Some part of Bruce was surprised that they were able to sleep through the birds chirping away, but if they were able to sleep through Ace's snores when he was sick enough to sleep in one of their beds, they could sleep through anything.

Bruce started to set out a small meal for when they did wake up hoping that it would be enough to substitute a proper breakfast. He rushed into a forest for some driftwood, anything that would support a fire. Luckily for him it didn't take long for him to find enough, he didn't want to be away from the campsite for too long.. Even though there were very few things that could happen to them, if one of the boys woke up they would be a little disheartened to find him missing..

He made a small flame, enough for him to warm some of the turkey and bread for the sandwiches. Bruce had a hard time making sure each of the slices were up to the boy's likings. Dick liked his bread a little stiff, hard enough that it turned slightly golden. He said that it was the best way to make sure that nothing slipped out of the sandwich. Tim preferred his bread completely white, without any of the coloring that came when the bread was warmed for too long. Bruce had no preference either way, pulling his bread off the flames when he was sure it was cooked.

While he was waiting for the the bread for his boys, he couldn't help but think that he and Alfred spoiled them. Surely there were few parents who payed much attention to the exact coloring of their children's bread, maybe only to make sure that nothing was burnt, but Bruce couldn't imagine making the boys even slightly disappointed. There was just something that made Bruce feel happy when he saw the smile on their faces when they could tell Bruce went out of his way to make them feel comfortable.

Once everything was settled, Bruce placed the food into the blanket and set out the ingredients for the s'mores. He checked his phone periodically and decided to wake the boys up within the hour.

While he had the time, he laid down on the sheets and stared up at the evening sky. The boys seemed to be enjoying the trip, especially considering that none of the work actually feel to them. Hiking wasn't too bad, but there was still the issue of the robin's nest they stumbled upon on their way here. The chance of them seeing the parents on their way back was small, but it was also strange that both of the parents had abandoned the nest full of eggs. Even if they were hungry, one of them should have stayed back to guard the eggs, keeping them warm before they made their appearance to the world. The green house attached to the manor might be a good place to raise them, it had enough room for the birds to fly around and maybe they could help scare away any rodents that tried to take up refuge there. No matter how much the boys loved animals, Bruce and Alfred could never allow anything resembling a rat roaming the halls of the manor. Bruce groaned thinking about Alfred. There was no way he would be able to explain even more birds taking up refuge in the manor.

The sky grew dark enough for Bruce to dig out some bug spray and make his way into the boy's tent to wake them up. He shook their frames trying to break their sleep but made sure to use the magic words. "Come on boys, it's time to wake up. The sooner you're up the sooner you can eat something."

Tim fidgeted first, stretching out to shake off the sleep. This time, one of his feet did actually land on Dick's face, but not hard enough to rouse the older boy. Bruce leaned over the smaller boy to stir Dick but he only tried to hold onto Tim's leg and fell back into his dreams. Tim was a little startled by the sudden grip to his legs and he kicked Dick in the face one more time, but it was Dick's breathing on the sole of his foot that spurred out some giggles.

Between his chuckles Tim began begging Dick to drop his hold on him. It was far too early for the struggle and Tim tried his hardest to escape from the situation. Dick started waking up but he decided to hold on as long as he could. Bruce only watched as the two playfully fought as their first act of the day. While Dick tried to maintain his hold on his younger brother, Tim tried to beg for his release. "Dick, stop it! It tickles, Dick, it tickles."

Hearing his little brother's pleas Dick only tried harder, digging his nose into the sole of Tim's foot while his free hand reached for the one trying it's hardest to break his hold. Tim couldn't help but laugh out louder while nothing but Bruce's feigned glare made Dick let his brother go free. Crawling away from Dick, Tim rested on Bruce's lap trying to catch his breath trying to fake just how frustrated he was. He let his brother hear, "This is why you're my favorite, Daddy. You never hurt me."

Their culprit, on the other hand, stretched his arms out and yawned feeling much more energetic than he had a few minutes ago. When the three made their way out of the tent Dick made sure to ruffle his brother's head in apology while Bruce led them to their breakfast.

* * *

Their father pulled out a bottle of water and home sanitary wipes so that the boys could clean up before they sat down to eat. Sitting on top of the sheet while Bruce ran some water on their hands to clean off the soap, Dick looked around to take in everything that was too much for him the night before. He was surprised by the fact that they were woken up at night and asked, "Why is it so dark?"

Bruce smiled over at him, but he explained, "I told you that there would be a surprise and I wanted to make sure you two didn't fall asleep before you could see it."

Tim scooched over to the basket Bruce had filled with food and couldn't help but commented, "Daddy, you're prepared for everything. Can you give us a hint about the surprise?"

"No, I can't give you a hint, If I gave you a hint, you'd lose some of the surprise, right?"

Dick made his way over to his brother and dug into the food, looking for the sandwich that would be distinctly his. Pulling off the wrap, he asked, "But how long do we have to wait?"

Bruce looked down at his phone and tried to estimate just how long the two would need to wait. "It shouldn't be more than an hour. At the very most an hour and a half."

Dick nodded his head in acknowledgement, glad to hear that he wouldn't have to wait too long for whatever surprise Bruce had laid out for him. He helped Tim with the crumbs of his own sandwich while Bruce poured some water into three separate thermoses. "Wow, Dad, you really did a good job with the sandwiches. How much did Alfred help?"

Bruce shot Dick with a glare before explaining, "I will have you know, the only thing Alfred did was slice the turkey and place it into the bag. Everything else was my own doing."

"Well you did a great job putting the turkey between two slices of bread."

Bruce some of the water onto his hand flung the drops onto his oldest son. Dick flinched, not having expected retaliation, but tried to guard himself behind his little brother. Tim wasn't too happy to find himself between the two, but he continued to act as if nothing had happened. He finished his sandwich and drank his water before looking to explore some of the area around their campsite. Dick followed suit and quickly came up with a way to pass some time. "Hey, Timbo, you want me to teach you a few tricks while we wait?"

Considering his lack of options, Tim agreed. "What do you want to do?"

Dick thought of something easy enough for someone Tim's size but at the same time advanced enough that it would take a full hour to complete. "How about I show you a move I used on one of Two-Face's guys a few weeks ago?"

There was absolutely no humor in Bruce's voice when he shouted, "Dick!"

Stretching his arms and working out any kinks he might have work out, Dick tried to rationalize, "Oh, come on, Dad. Who's going to hear us this far out in the woods?"

"I don't want to find out."

A little annoyed, Dick decided to let the matter drop with some passive aggression. "Okay Timmy, how about I show you a move I used on Dad a few weeks ago?"

Tim giggled before following Dick's lead with the stretches and preparing for whatever his older brother wanted to show him. Dick showed Tim the stance he took, one foot firmly dug into the ground with both arms close to his chest. Standing behind him, Dick helped his brother move all of his limbs into the right position and not drop his stance. The hardest part for Tim was keeping his balance, but once he was able to move around on one foot Dick pretended to be a criminal who Tim should take down.

Looking at the two practicing, Bruce felt conflicted. He was proud of them, there was no doubt of that, but seeing the two practice taking someone down he felt a surge of guilt. Bruce probably thought over this once a week, but he could never quiet the voice in the back of his head questioning just how he could involve children as young as the two before him in his mission. He knew he wasn't forcing them to take up the same oath he did all those years ago, but the knowledge that there was any number of things that could bring the two harm never ceased to weigh on his mind.

Nevertheless, Bruce was proud of the two, more than he knew he could ever feel. Dick was growing up to be the model of a good young man, someone who would protect everything and everyone he loved with no exception, especially if it was his younger brother. He'd seen it many times: when an airhead reporter makes a passing comment about Tim's appearance, when a bully at school picks on him for being small or rich, when Tim was going out of his comfort zone like with his fear of the dark, or back to the beginning when he'd protected Tim from their parent's death. There was never a moment Bruce questioned that Dick wouldn't do his absolute best to protect his little brother and the feeling was mutual. Tim knew his brother was protective, and it sometimes surprised Bruce how far Tim went to appease him. There was nothing Tim could imagine hiding from Dick, not even when they were having an argument or had miles of distance between them. Even when Dick was away on a mission or spending a weekend away with his friends they made sure to video chat or text regularly.

He could see the same dedication while the two practiced not too far away. When Tim was eventually deemed strong enough to join them out on the field, Bruce knew it would be a long time before Dick was comfortable with him taking a route by himself. Right now, Dick was casually training Tim for any number of situations that came his way, neither wanting to disappoint the other.

Following his older brother's example, Tim almost landed a kick onto his chest but Dick surprised him with a nudge to his foot that made him lose his balance and fall to the floor. On the ground Tim surrendered, but not before leaving Dick with an invitation to join him and take a break. Dick laughed and sat down beside him, taking off his shirt and wiping the sweat and dirt off of his face. He offered Tim his shirt, but he gracefully turned him down to find a clean fabric he could use instead. Bruce found a clean towel and sets of cloths for the boys, helping them clean off quickly and change before lying down for their surprise.

It was a little disorganized as Bruce poured some water on each of their heads before they used a wet towel to clean off everything else. The cold felt nice after the exercise and the two only flung water at each other for a few minutes before they used another towel to dry off. Once Tim set down next to Bruce and Dick made his way behind him but not before he took the wet towel and draped it over his brother. Tim cringed at the feeling of the wet fabric and threw it off to the side not wanting to deal with it.

"Daddy, how much longer do we have until the surprise?"

Knowing how restless the boys would get waiting, Bruce promised, "Not too long, but how about we make some s'mores while we wait these last few minutes?"

It hadn't been a long time since the breakfast, but the two felt the treat well deserved. They took a blanket from their tent and sat beside the small fire Bruce had rekindled to warm the marshmallows. While they watched Bruce roast the marshmallows, Dick and Tim talked about whether Bigfoot was likely to come up this high in the woods and whether his diet would support s'mores. Apparently they worked out that he was a herbivore, prefered to live by the river because he didn't like to take a bath, and was allergic to chocolate because he was part dog.

Looking over to his phone one last time, Bruce used a clean tray as a plate and made multiple s'mores in record time. Quickly putting out the fire, he shooed the boys onto the picnic site and refilled their water thermoses. Watching their father rush around trying to make everything perfect the boys grew excited about what was coming their way. Bruce was still refusing to give any information, just showing each of the boys a sly smile when they asked for clues or hints. The best was when Tim said that if he gave them clues it would help hone their skills as detectives, but he was immediately shot down. Bruce just replied that he'd already given them enough clues and they should've figured it out by now.

Taking their place on either side of their dad, the two boys ate away at their treats while they fought over the blanket for warmth. Tim broke away from his brother to find their dad and try his luck with his detective skills. Leaning against Bruce's ear, Tim whispered, "Is it a meteor shower? The surprise, is it a meteor shower?"

Just as before, Bruce gave a short, "No."

Not believing him, Tim asked, "Would you tell me if it was?"

A little more strained, Bruce repeated, "No."

Tim didn't try to hide just how proud he was. He wore the pride on his face when he promised, "Well then, we'll just see won't we."

Tim got up from his spot by Bruce to dig through his bag. While he was gone, Dick took his place and whispered, "Is the surprise a meteor shower?"

Inwardly groaning, Bruce stuck to his previous response and muttered back, "No."

They both watched Tim come back with his camera in his hands and prepared to snap a picture of anything they found in the sky.

As they settled into the blanket, the two followed Bruce's lead and laid on their back while feigning ignorance for the other's benefit.

"Okay, it's going to happen any minute now."

It happened without much warning. The two were stunned to silence watching the rocks stream past in the night sky. For the longest time Tim forgot to capture the moment in picture, but Bruce up the opportunity to capture a picture of the two staring at the sky. He could tell that the two were entranced by the sight above them, not breaking their line of sight even when he got up.

The moment went on for a few minutes, until the last of the meteors had passed and the only thing left were the stars. Tim wasn't happy to see that Bruce used his camera to take pictures of them, but he didn't feel to complaining after the surprise.

Instead, Tim looked up from his seat and asked, "Daddy, what's the difference between meteors and asteroids?"

Dick took this opportunity to use the information he had learned in school. "We learned this last week. Meteors are asteroids that come close to the earth. Sometimes they even enter the atmosphere."

The three spent the rest of the night discussing the other phenomena of space. Bruce went into detailed explanation if everything he knew about celestial bodies and their functions. It didn't take long for the discussion to turn to aliens and the boys favorite alien.

Timmy couldn't hold his curiosity in and he asked, "What was Uncle Clark's planet like?"

Taking in a deep sigh and thinking about the things Clark had told in their many discussions, Bruce didn't feel it was his place to explain to the kids the situations with Krypton. "I think it would be best if you asked Clark in person, but I should remind you that he was a baby when he was last on the planet. I don't know how much he would be able to tell you."

Dick chipped in, "You should remind us to ask the next time he comes over."

"Don't worry, I will." Bruce knew they were going to make him keep his word, especially when it concerned their favorite uncle. He tried not to think about the slight jealousy that came with knowing that he was competing with a god but it was all worth knowing that he was their favorite superhero even when they tried to deny it.

A noise from the trees caught the trio off guard, but Tim was the only one unsettled by the possible animals hiding away in the dark. He was getting more anxious with the dark, but he tried to hide the fear from his voice when he asked, "What are we going to do now?"

Hearing how unsettled Timmy was becoming, Dick invited him back under the blanket that was keeping him warm. Tim quickly made his way to his brother for safety but Bruce couldn't help but feel it was up to him to find some way to calm him down.

There really weren't any more reasons to stay up here, but it would take longer for them to feel tired enough to fall back to sleep. "How about we just sit around the fire for a bit and once we feel tired we can get some shut eye before heading back down to the campsite in the evening?"

He put more wood into the fire and ushered the boys over. He settled between them under the guise of trying to keep them warm, but they all knew it was to give Tim some comfort. Bruce decided to start with a story about a camping trip his father had taken him on many years ago. It wasn't too far from here, there were very few good sites near Gotham. His father had been more of a fishing man so he chose a site with a much larger lake. It was hard for him in the beginning, having to sit there without much going on but his father entertained him with some stories about his mother, Martha. At first he tried to find some things to complain about, how she always made them late to events or her taste in music, but they could both tell that he was just looking for an excuse to talk about her because soon the discussion turned to how he loved the way she cooked the few times Alfred let her take reign of the kitchen or how he would never forget the way she looked with him in his arms hours after he was born. The two spent hours on the lake, only one of them ever saying anything, before Thomas decided it was time to turn in and get something to eat considered none of the fish seemed too hungry.

Bruce missed the way the two were trying to read the expression on his face or the way he squeezed the two in until there was no room between them. He held them there for a long time, retelling a story every now and then, but could feel them growing limp beside him. He pulled out a few more sandwiches leftover from their short breakfast and the three ate in silence, listening only to the crackling sound of the fire. He promised to keep the fire alive until the two were asleep, not needing them to tell them he was afraid but reading the tension on Tim's face when he heard another sound come from the outside.

Putting the two down was easy considering there wasn't much to keep them awake. Dick squeezed his brother close, but before Bruce left he heard Tim whisper, "I like hearing about Grandpa and Grandma." Dick breathed his agreement into Tim's hair before adjusting his hold and settling into a quiet sleep.

Bruce didn't let them see him stumble out the tent, neither of them knowing how those words felt to him. He always considered their relationship somewhat unconventional but maybe it was simpler to the boys. Sitting beside the fire he couldn't help but think that his parents would love to know that those two boys considered them family. His mom was the kind of mother to hound him about grandchildren and the two sleeping a few feet away were the best ones they could ever raise. He knew that if he were an emotional person there would be tears in his eyes but all he could let through was a small smile and a choked breath.

Looking into the tent and hearing their breathing level out, Bruce planted a small kiss to their foreheads. While he made sure not to crush the two he promised to do it more often, any chance he could get.


	8. Home

**Home**

* * *

Bruce brought their things down from the trees and began to pack everything up for their trip back home.

The boys were laying down under the trees not too far away and resting in the shade. Dick was probably the most tired out of all of them, he had spent more time climbing through the trees and looking through branches for the blue eggs that he had on the ground with the rest of them. Dick very much wanted to bring home. Bruce knew where the nest was, Dick was actually in a completely different section of the forest, but he was more interested in making sure that the parents weren't anywhere nearby. Birds, being some of the greatest parents in the animal kingdom, rarely left their children alone and usually one went out to scout for food while the other guarded the nest. The absence of both of them was concerning, but he was willing to wait to make sure they weren't coming back.

Tim had spent the walk over going through the pictures Bruce had taken the night before. He had even strayed off the path and made his way into the bushes a couple of times once he stopped paying attention to where they were going and Bruce took the initiative to lift him up onto his shoulder. Using the added height to his advantage, Tim took over Bruce's role as the photographer and began tracking his brother as he made his way through the trees.

Once everything was cleared up, food packed away, fire put out and there being absolutely no indication that they had ever been there, Bruce clapped his hands to get his boys attention and called out, "It's time to go home boys. Are you two ready?"

Jumping up to his feet, Dick reminded him, "We still have to go get the eggs remember. I haven't found them so far."

Nodding his head, Bruce picked up a small box he had emptied out and acknowledged, "Yes, I remember. The nest is on our way back and I emptied out one of the boxes to make room for their nest. We have to be very gentle with them, okay. That means in the car you cannot play with them or hold them or especially shake them. There is something very gentle growing so we have to be careful."

The two boys paid close attention to everything Bruce said and gathered their own things before followed him out onto their path home. As they walked down the hiking route, Tim carried the box while Dick found some fallen leaves and sand to decorate it and make it look somewhat more homey for the future members of their family.

Bruce stopped at the foot of a large tree and said, "They are right up there. Before you do anything, Dick, go up and check to see if anything moved. If it did then the parents came by to look on them and if it didn't we'll take them in."

Understanding the seriousness of his mission, Dick made his way up the tree and settled beside the nest. Making sure to keep his distance while he examined the nest and called down, "It doesn't look like much has moved, Dad. Only some leaves that look like they flew around a little."

Bruce sighed, "Okay. Now we have to be careful. Bring the nest over to trunk and pass it over to me."

Very carefully, Dick took the nest off of the branch and slowly moved closer to Bruce. When the nest had changed hands, Bruce placed it in the box and took one of the eggs in his hand. He could feel that the eggs were heavy, much heavier than the ones they cooked with, and he could tell that they would be hatching within three weeks. He could also tell that the egg was colder than it should have been, not to an alarming or threatening degree, but enough for Bruce to be sure that no one had been looking out for them for a while.

While his sons watched with curious eyes, Bruce returned the egg to its place and set the lid on the box to keep them safe. Standing up and pointing the way home, Bruce reminded them, " Remember, don't shake them and be gentle."

* * *

Halfway through the hike down, Bruce declared, "As soon as we find a place to stop, we are going to be taking a break." He could tell that the boys were getting tired, he had spent a lot of the trip gauging just how much stamina the two had and ways to improve it, and they deserved a chance to take a rest from their long walk.

Sitting down on a soft rock and eating crackers for the energy he would need to finish the trek, Tim looked at the eggs confused and and asked, "Daddy, how to they eat inside the egg?"

Not wanting to make the explanation too difficult, Bruce said, "They aren't alive yet so they don't need energy. Right now, everything they need to survive is inside the egg."

Dick chimed in, "How much longer do you think it's going to be until they hatch?"

"It won't be too long. They are most of the way along."

"In Gotham are we going to raise them?" Dick hadn't thought about the logistics too much, he just wanted to bring them home. He imagined it would be a lot like how they raised Ace, he and Tim got to play with him and have fun, but somehow they never had to see him go to the bathroom or clean up after him. It was just another time Dick had to consider how much of a saint Alfred was.

Bruce actually had thought about the logistics, mostly because he would have to be the one to deal with the repercussion when Alfred decided to punish him for adding three new members to their family, and he explained, "They are going to need a lot of support. Just like babies, chicks need parents to look over them and that is going to be our job. Maybe after a few years they are going to want to fly away, or maybe they decide that they want to stay with us and they can live in our garden."

Cringing at the possible answer, Dick asked, "Are we going to keep them in a cage?"

Seeing the distress on his own little bird, Bruce assured him, "No, we aren't going to do that. At the most, we will probably set up a little incubator in the Manor to watch them the first few weeks and after that we will move them over to the greenhouse so they can learn to fly. After that it will be up to them."

Between stuffing some breakfast flavored granola bars into his face, Dick approved the decision with, "I like this plan. I don't want them in a cage. They can't fly in that."

"I can see where you would sympathize with them, Dick. You can't stand being on the ground for more than a few hours."

Looking up at him cheekily, Dick promised, "That is never going to change."

Turning his attention away from the boy so that he wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing the smile on his face, Bruce diverted his attention elsewhere. As he was cleaning up and making sure they didn't leave any trash behind, Bruce looked over to Dick and asked, "Do you know where Tim is?"

Turning away from the next bar he was about to open, Dick made a quick scan around before running into the trees and calling out, "Timmy? Tim are you there? TIM!"

Once he didn't get a response, Dick became frantic and shot off into a random direction of the woods, not really caring where he was going if he could find his little brother.

Bruce pulled him in an embrace and told him, "I want you to go back to the rock and wait there. If Tim makes his way back, you'll be there for him. I'll come and check up on you every couple of minutes. Okay? Don't move, Dick. I can't be looking for the both of you at the same time."

Dick didn't like the plan, it made him feel helpless, but he accepted the experience Bruce had with things like this and made his way back. He could imagine so many horrible circumstances where his little brother was lost or had been stolen, each worse than the last. Sitting down on the rock with his senses alert, Dick stared off into the trees hoping that he would catch a hint of Tim's green jacket or blue eyes. After a while he couldn't do anything but crouch down and say, "Come back, Tim. Please come back."

Not too far away, Bruce was climbing the highest tree he could find and trying to catch any clue of where Tim was. He circled the area around their rest stop twice before he heard a quiet giggling coming from not to far away. His immediate reaction was that the Joker had found Tim and wanted to bait him with his son, but he soon recognized that the sound was far too innocent to belong to the megalomaniac.

Following the sound a few yards, Bruce caught a blob of black hair jumping around a small patch of flower. He dropped down beside it before taking the surprised boy into his arms and demanding, "What were you thinking?"

Confused why his dad was so upset, Tim took a deep breath and explained, "When we were camping I saw these flowers and I really liked them but I didn't remember to bring them so when I was listening to you and Dick talk I thought that I could find some more. I want to give them as a gift for Alfred."

Telling himself to calm down, to understand that nothing horrible had happened, Bruce placed Tim on the ground and scolded, "Your brother is worried sick, Tim. I was worried sick. Dick doesn't know what happened to you. He's back there thinking that you're lost or that somebody took you and he's never going to see you again. You need to understand that you can't just run off without telling us where you are."

Watching as Tim glanced down to his feet and tried to think of ways to make this up, Bruce sighed and said, "Gather up the flowers you've already picked and we'll go find Dick."

As soon as he heard the trees rustle and heard Tim complain that the bushes were too pointy, that the ones at home were so much better, Dick shot out from his seat and tackled him. Holding him to the ground, Dick asked, "What happened? Did you get lost? Are you ok?"

Feeling even worse seeing just how afraid his brother was, Tim apologized, "I'm sorry, Dick. I wanted to get flowers for Alfred so I left and forgot to tell you. I'm very sorry."

Dick folded his arms in and let his body cover Tim's. Confused, Tim tried to push his brother off and asked, "What are you doing, Dick? Are you ok?"

Not moving an inch, Dick explained, "I'm fine, Tim, but I just can't have you move too far from me right now." Looking down at him without the regular smile on his face or light in his eye, Dick whispered, "Don't ever do something like that again."

Tim nodded heavily, promising, "I forgot, Dick. It won't happen again."

Recognizing that his little brother felt horrible about the situation, Dick rolled over so that he could move Tim onto his chest and hold him close until they needed to leave.

The two got up when they heard Bruce call out for them, and while he tried to dust off his clothes, Tim asked, "Do you like my flowers?"

Dick took them into his hands and acknowledged, "They do look very nice, Tim. I think Alfred is going to love them."

* * *

Once Dick and Tim were in the car, they were finished with the wilderness. Seeing the stars falling overhead was one thing, but air conditioning was something else. The two didn't even help Bruce load the car, they dropped their bag off by the back of the car and brought their eggs and flowers into the car while they waited.

Bruce understood their feelings. As soon as he was in his seat and feeling the chilly wind blow on his face he was ready to be back home in his bed with Alfred there to serve him gourmet food.

Starting the car and looking back to see that the boys had designated a seat for their eggs and that they were both passed out, Tim in his car seat resting his head on Dick's shoulder, Bruce pulled up to the park ranger's office to show them that they were okay and not bringing any illegal game and made their way home.


End file.
